Lupita Nyong’o is the latest Hollywood actress to come forward about Hollywood exec and full-time predator, Harvey Weinstein. In what may be one of the most disturbing scandals of 2017, Nyong’o reveals that Weinstein attempted several times to harass her sexually.
After meeting Weinstein at an awards show in Berlin back in 2011, the pair exchanged contact information. An aspiring actress at the time, Nyong’o did her best to research the man who at the time, was the “most powerful execs in Hollywood.” She received warning from a female producer, but nothing to indicate his vulturous behavior, so she accepted an invited to a film screening with him. He took her to lunch, tried to force her to drink alcohol, before taking her back to his home and asking her to massage him.
“Harvey led me into a bedroom — his bedroom — and announced that he wanted to give me a massage. I thought he was joking at first. He was not. For the first time since I met him, I felt unsafe. I panicked a little and thought quickly to offer to give him one instead: It would allow me to be in control physically, to know exactly where his hands were at all times.”
After trying to rationalize his behavior, but there was no explanation for his actions. He was a monster. Preying on young actresses. Using his power as a gatekeeper to instill fear into not only his victims but also to everybody around him. Nyong’o writes:
“I didn’t quite know how to process the massage incident. I reasoned that it had been inappropriate and uncalled-for, but not overtly sexual. I was entering into a business where the intimate is often professional and so the lines are blurred. I was in an educational program where I was giving massages to my classmates and colleagues every day. Though the incident with Harvey had made me uncomfortable, I was able to explain and justify it to myself, and shelve it as an awkward moment. His offer to me to be a part of the HBO show was a very attractive one, and I was excited about it, especially as I would be graduating in another year. I didn’t know how to proceed without jeopardizing my future. But I knew I would not be accepting any more visits to private spaces with Harvey Weinstein.”
You can read Lupita Nyong’o’s full editorial at the NY Times by clicking here.
We are deeply saddened by the experience but love how courageous Lupita handled the situation. Hopefully, her account will help other victims to come forward.
